The Murray State News October 13, 2016
TheNews.org
‘Marketplace of Ideas’: Davies seeks student-help
Vol. 91, No. 7
Abigail Siegel News Editor
asiegel@murraystate.edu
President Bob Davies sent an email Monday afternoon to all students, faculty and staff urging them to share advice and wisdom on how to further Murray State as the “Marketplace of Ideas” during a time of tension within the United States. “Over the past year, and with increased intensity, we are witnessing a time in the history of our country where issues of race, equality, social justice and concerns of
personal safety are being raised,” Davies wrote in the email. The email included a link to a Google form titled “Campus Climate Strategy Proposals” and included questions regarding initiating cultural change and how to make the proposal happen, including questions about necessary resources and inclusion of regional campuses. “Recognizing that our campus community has some incredible insights, we’re asking everyone to share their ideas and sugges-
tions,” said Adrienne King, vice president of University Advancement. “The online form idea was generated as an easy way to gather this advice from all of our campus community.” King said Davies will assemble a task force that represents faculty, staff, students and alumni. The taskforce will review the submitted ideas and provide recommendations to university leadership. The university will fulfill many of the ideas at the beginning of the
see LETTER, page 2
g n i m o c 6 e 1 0 m Ho urt 2 Co
Consulting firms evaluate university’s auxiliary services
Homecoming King Nominees Michael Mann Springfield, KY Robert Rosa Bloomington, IL Caleb Brannon Puryear, TN Cole Reichert Belleville, IL McKenna Dosier/The News
Ashley Traylor || Staff writer atraylor@murraystate.edu
MGT America and Porter Khouw consulting firms evaluated Murray State’s auxiliary operations and facilities and the University Store is making its recommended changes. The consultants were on campus Sept. 7-9. They met with the auxiliary division - which includes housing, dining, the bookstore and printing services - as well as focus groups, administrators, faculty, students and staff. Public Relations wrote in an official university statement to The Murray State News, Murray State asked for an auxiliary consultant to review their auxiliary operations over the summer and make recommendations on how the services can be financially beneficial and maintain quality. The statement said Murray State currently does not outsource any of their services. “The consultants could recommend some level of outsourcing; however, it is too early in their review process to comment on any expected recommendations,” Public Relations wrote in the statement.
Kathryn Matthews, freshman from Louisville, Kentucky, said she shops at the University Store frequently and does not want it to be an outsourced entity. “I feel like it would be a waste,” Matthews said. “I mean we come to this university and then you try to help out the university as much as you can...you think the bookstore money would go to improve the bookstore.” Kathryn Fereday, freshman from Chesterfield, Virginia, said she does not shop at the University Store often but does not want it to outsource. “There’s a lot of pros and cons to it, but right now I think the bookstore is doing a pretty good job how it is and I don’t want to see it change too much,” Fereday said. Karol Hardison, director of the University store said Murray State is not looking to outsource their services. Hardison said she doesn’t know what to expect if outsourcing were to occur and she said she hopes it does not happen. “By having our institutional store, we get to cater more toward what our students want,” Hardison said.
Austin Spicer Paducah, KY
Homecoming Queen Nominees Emily Mundt Prospect, KY Caitlin Dunaway Salem, IL Kelsey Bogard Murray, KY Amie Jones Hopkinsville, KY
see BOOKSTORE, page 2
Jordan Maberry Paducah, KY
Sex reassignment surgery ‘One Stop to be covered in 2017 Shop’ opens
Ashley Traylor || Staff writer atraylor@murraystate.edu
Murray State’s insurance and benefits will cover sex reassignment beginning Jan. 1, 2017 in compliance with the Affordable Care Act. The Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) issued a final rule May 13 to provide health equity and prohibit health discrimination under section 1557. According to a press release from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, “individuals are protected from discrimination in health care on the basis of race, color, national origin, disability and sex, including discrimination based on pregnancy, gender identity and sex stereotyping.” An email was sent to members of the insurance and the benefits committee informing
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faculty and staff that Anthem, the university health care provider, will cover these procedures beginning in the new year. Peggy Pittman-Munke, social work interim program director, said she believes sex reassignment is beneficial to the campus community because there are people struggling to pay for the operation, and some are denied access to needed medical help under current insurance plans. She said some will deprive themselves of the operation when they cannot pay for it. “This helps people get needed healthcare as well as emphasizing to medical providers the need to be aware of best practices in this area,” Pittman-Munke said. The insurance and benefits committee received a request from the office of LGBT Programming and Advisory Com-
mittee to modify the health plan to include hormone therapy, mental health services and gender affirmation surgery, but they learned the current plan covers hormone therapy and counseling, but not the surgery, according to the email. Murray State works with Anthem to provide an insurance plan in compliance with the current Affordable Care Act, and the law incorporates coverage for all gender transition services, according to a statement from university officials. According to Anthem’s guidelines for sex reassignment, individuals undergoing sex reassignment surgery must meet the following requirements: at least 18 years of age, the ability to make informed decisions, a diagnosis of gender dysphoria, one year of hormone therapy documented by a health professional, previous participation in
psychotherapy, no uncontrolled health issues and referrals from mental health professionals. Sex reassignment is a treatment for those with cases of gender dysphoria, a condition where an individual does not identify with the gender they were assigned at birth. Pittman-Munke said she believes it will take the community time to adjust to the new healthcare change, like it took time to adjust to pregnancy coverage 30 years ago. She said she hopes sex reassignment will be routinely covered by health insurances. “The university will continue to work with our insurance plan administrator to ensure that, based on their interruption of the law, that university insurance plans are fully compliant with the Affordable Care Act,” according to statement from university officials.
next Spring Emily Williams || Contributing writer
ewilliams15@murraystate.edu
Fred Dietz, associate vice president of Enrollment Management, said Murray State will have a “one-stop shop” for information for students during the first week of Spring 2016 and the first two weeks of the Fall 2017. The one-stop shop will integrate the Bursar, Scholarship, Financial Aid and Registrar offices. The location has not been finalized, though Dietz said it will
likely take place in the Curris Center. “The idea is to have numerous offices in one area at the beginning of each fall and spring semester so that students do not have to go from one side of campus to the other side of campus to get answers to questions,” Dietz said. “We hope this idea will offer students some convenience and enable answers to be obtained in one area without the stress of going from building to build-
see ONE-STOP, page 2
GREEKS v. WORLD
UP ‘TIL DAWN
OUR VIEW
WHITE OUT
More than half of $35,000 goal raised, page 3
Back talking the locker room, page 4
Racers prepare for Austin Peay, ISO and Greeks face off in soccer match, page 9 page 7